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Falus - Anonymous Isfahan mint
| Issuer | Isfahan, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1674-1708 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 27.6 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic |
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| Reverse description | The reverse field bears a multi-line Arabic inscription arranged in a cartouche-style layout, characteristic of Safavid-era copper falus from the Isfahan mint. The script is executed in a bold naskh hand, with the lines filling the available flan in a manner typical of anonymous municipal coinage of this period. The legends identify the denomination and mint, rendered in raised relief against a flat, unadorned field. The irregular flan edges and slightly off-center strike reflect the hand-hammered production technique standard for provincial copper issues of the late Safavid period. |
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| Additional information |
Isfahan served as the Safavid imperial capital from 1598, and by the late seventeenth century its bazaars ranked among the busiest in the world — yet the copper fulus circulating in its markets were issued by the city itself rather than the royal mint, reflecting a longstanding Islamic monetary convention that left petty coinage to local authorities. The anonymity of these pieces was deliberate; no shah's name appears because urban copper was administratively beneath the dignity of royal silver and gold issues.
The span of KM references here suggests die variation across multiple decades of municipal production, likely with little standardization between individual striking sessions.